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MAGNET

What is MAGNET?

The Program on Mechanistic Investigation and Clinical Innovation for Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Therapy (MAGNET) aims to fundamentally improve the current detection, stratification, and therapeutic intervention for sarcopenia by better understanding the mechanistic basis of its pathogenesis. 

Marking a bold step in that direction, MAGNET was officially launched on 4 August 2025 by Guest-of-Honour Professor Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Health at the Ministry of Health. This S$10 million national research initiative, supported by the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Open Fund - Large Collaborative Grant (OF-LCG) programme, aims to transform how sarcopenia is understood, diagnosed and treated.


MAGNET Research Team

Why Sarcopenia Matters?

Sarcopenia is one of Singapore's emerging healthcare challenges.

As Singapore's population ages, more people are living with sarcopenia—the progressive loss of muscle strength and mass. Yet the condition remains under-recognised despite its high prevalence among both community-dwelling older adults and hospitalised patients.


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Without early detection, sarcopenia increases the risk of:

  • Frailty and falls
  • Loss of mobility and independence
  • Poorer recovery after illness or surgery
  • Higher healthcare utilisation

Advancing sarcopenia research is essential to support healthier ageing and aligns closely with Singapore's Healthier SG vision of preventive, community-based healthcare.


The BIG Challenge

Current diagnosis comes too late.

Today, sarcopenia is largely diagnosed after symptoms have already appeared. There are currently no reliable molecular or metabolic biomarkers that allow clinicians to detect the disease early, predict progression, or monitor treatment response.

Adding to the challenge, sarcopenia is not a single disease. Its underlying causes vary between individuals, making it difficult to identify early-stage disease or distinguish different subtypes, including diabetes-related and non-diabetes-related sarcopenia.

MAGNET's Answer

Understanding disease. Delivering precision care.

 

MAGNET is Singapore's first comprehensive translational sarcopenia research programme, bringing together clinical expertise and multi-omics science to uncover how sarcopenia develops at the molecular level.

By studying one of Singapore's largest sarcopenia cohorts and analysing more than 1,000 paired muscle and blood samples, MAGNET is identifying the biological drivers of disease to enable earlier diagnosis, precision therapies and better patient outcomes.


Our research is focused on four key areas:




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Early Detection

MAGNET researchers have identified biological changes in muscle tissue that occur before sarcopenia becomes clinically apparent. By uncovering these early molecular signals, the programme aims to enable diagnosis before significant muscle loss occurs.


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Precision Diagnosis

Because sarcopenia develops differently in different individuals, MAGNET is identifying biomarkers from paired muscle and blood samples to improve early detection, classify disease subtypes and support more personalised care.



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Targeted Therapies

By revealing the metabolic and inflammatory pathways that drive sarcopenia, MAGNET is identifying new therapeutic targets that address the underlying causes of disease rather than simply managing its symptoms.


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Transforming Patient Care

MAGNET is translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice through earlier diagnosis, better risk prediction and precision treatment strategies—helping to improve outcomes and support healthier ageing.


Meet the MAGNET Leaders

Behind every breakthrough is a team of dedicated researchers. Meet the MAGNET leaders who are bringing together expertise across specialised research themes to unlock new discoveries and transform the future of sarcopenia prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Professor Yibin Wang

Lead and Theme 3 PI

Professor Yibin Wang from Duke-NUS Medical School will lead his team to Investigate key molecular and metabolic pathways in the pathogenic mechanism of sarcopenia and validate therapeutic targets in preclinical disease models. 

 

 

Tanoto Foundation Distinguished Professor of Diabetes Research

Director, Signature Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School

Senior Principal Investigator and Co-Director of National Heart Research Institute, National Heart Centre Singapore 

Research Director, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*Star

Professor, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine

 

 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE



Teh Bin Tean

Professor TEH Bin Tean

Theme 1 PI

Professor Teh Bin Tean from National Cancer Center of Singapore will lead his team to uncover novel molecular and metabolic changes in association with the pathogenesis of sarcopenia across specific comorbidities in Singapore-based human samples (n=1,000).

 

Director, SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine (BD-MED)

Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Enterprise & Venture), NCCS

Deputy Director (Global Relations), NCCS

Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

Senior Principal Investigator, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore

Senior Group Leader, Genome Institute of Singapore

 

 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE


Han Weiping (cropped)

Professor HAN Weiping

Theme 2 PI

Professor Han Weiping from Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB, A*STAR) will lead his team to develop molecular, metabolic, and imaging-based strategies to detect the onset and track the progression of sarcopenia from Project MAGNET cohort.

 

Director, International Strategic Partnerships, IMCB

Head, Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine, IMCB

Distinguished Principal Scientist, IMCB

Professor, Department of Biochemistry, YLL School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Professor, Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

 

 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE


Frederick Koh (cropped)

A/Professor Frederick KOH

Theme 4 PI

Associate Professor Frederick Koh will lead the clinical team to recruit patients and eventually use mechanism-based clinical intervention for sarcopenia prevention and treatment in MAGNET cohort.

 

Deputy Research Director, Sengkang General Hospital

Consultant, Colorectal Service, Department of General Surgery, Sengkang General Hospital

Clinical Associate Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University

Clinical Assistant Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Principal Investigator, SingHealth Duke-NUS Muscle Health Programme, SingHealth Academic Medical Centre

Visiting Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery & Cancer,Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London

 

 

CLIK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE


How to Engage Us?


Whether you're a researcher, clinician, collaborator or healthcare professional, there are many ways to engage with MAGNET and contribute to advancing sarcopenia research in Singapore.

Attend Our Research Town Halls

 

Stay connected with the latest developments in MAGNET through our regular Research Town Halls.

These sessions bring together researchers, clinicians and collaborators to:

  • Share project updates and research findings
  • Discuss challenges and opportunities
  • Exchange ideas and feedback
  • Strengthen multidisciplinary collaborations

Together, these engagements help accelerate translational research—from scientific discovery to future therapies.

Get in Touch!

 

Have a question or interested in partnering with us?

We'd love to hear from you!

 

magnet@duke-nus.edu.sg

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